


A COMPREHENSIVE AND UNNECESSARILY LONG GUIDE TO KEEP YOU ALIVE FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE

by Kanceir



Category: Homestuck
Genre: SBURB Fan Session, SBURB Guide, SBURB/SGRUB
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-26 08:04:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19001728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kanceir/pseuds/Kanceir
Summary: i needed a centralized hub for all information regarding sburb gameplay in logical and chronological order, so i'm making this.





	1. Table of Contents

**[Chapter One]**   _Table of Contents_

 

 **[Chapter Two]** _Starting out: The Basics_

==> Controls

==> Currency

==> Devices

 

 **[Chapter Three]** _Game Constructs_

==> Entities

==> Locations

 

 **[Chapter Four]** _Game Mechanics_

==> God tiers

==> Key Items

==> Some Other Wacky Shit


	2. Starting Out: The Basics

* * *

**C O N T R O L S**

* * *

 

**SERVER / CLIENTS**

Your game comes with TWO (2) SEPARATE DISCS (excluding the extra welcoming disc), one for the SERVER SIDE FILE and one for the CLIENT SIDE FILE. In order to establish a server/client relationship, one player must install their server disc while another player installs their client disc. The server player will then notice a menu at the top of their screen displaying their available options. These options include “MOVE”, “REVISE”, “DEPLOY”, “PHERNALIA REGISTRY”, “GRIST CACHE”, “ATHENEUM”, and “ALCHEMIZE”. Along with this menu, there will appear a display in the top left corner of the server player’s screen which will enable them to adjust their view and perspective of the client player’s surroundings at will. The only exception to the server's all-seeing perspective is any room or area within the client's dwelling that the client has never entered before.

The server player is now able to use the first three options to manipulate the client player’s surroundings via moving, revising, and deploying objects. Tampering with objects ALREADY PRESENT in the client player’s surroundings will not use up any build grist, but doing so with items from the PHERNALIA REGISTRY and adding onto the client player’s environment will. The client player will need to FIND AND DEFEAT ENEMIES in order to collect more BUILD GRIST, amoung other types, for the server player to use in order to progress further in the game’s development.

 

**PHERNALIA REGISTRY**

The server player will notice THREE (3) DEVICES within the PHERNALIA REGISTRY that cost no grist to deploy. These items include the CRUXTRUDER, the TOTEM LATHE, and the ALCHEMITER. The placement of these objects as well as any others from the selection menu is up to the server player, so long as there is room for them. More objects will become available in the selection menu as more players join the server/client chain, along with TEN TIMES MORE GRIST for the previous server player. Any duplicates of the first three machines will cost a sum of 100 GRIST to build, while the other machines’ prices vary.

  
**ATHENEUM / ALCHEMIZE**

The first option is simply to view a catalogue of each item alchemized in the ALCHEMITER either by the client player or the server player. The second option allows the server player to interact with the ALCHEMITER deployed in the client player’s surroundings, allowing them to alchemize ITEMS AND/OR WEAPONS on their client’s behalf.

 

* * *

**C U R R E N C Y**

* * *

 

**GRIST**

The first server will begin with exactly twenty (20) build grist to use in manipulating the client player’s surroundings. Each SUCCESSIVE SERVER PLAYER is credited 2x10^x grist, x being the position they take in the server/client chain. Each server player EXCLUDING THE FIRST is provided within the game a disc with the GRISTTORRENT PROGRAMME. A player with this disc, preferably after installing it, can captchalogue the disc and punch the card, then send the unique punch code to the first server player so they can use it to punch an empty card for the TOTEM LATHE and then ALCHEMIZE THE DISC for themselves. Aside from transferring grist, GRISTTORRENT will also take excess grist types that can’t be collected by a player due to cache limits and dispense it into the GRIST GUTTER, from which the grist will be redistributed to other players who have more room in their caches.

Several different types of grist can be collected by the client player. The most common types of grist will be build grist and those associated with the player themselves as well as the manifestations of their enemies, their consorts’ species, and the nature of their surroundings. Comprehensive lists of grist types and descriptions can be found [ here ](http://mspaintadventures.wikia.com/wiki/Grist#Other_types) and [ here ](http://forums.msparp.com/showthread.php?tid=4505), but you’re more than welcome to come up with your own grist types in accordance to your character. Certain amounts of these numerous types of grist will be needed in addition to build grist to access certain machines in the PHERNALIA REGISTRY.

 

**BOON CURRENCY**

For the sake of simplicity, each server player may be credited a fixed sum of twenty (20) BOONDOLLARS at the beginning of the Game, which is stored in a CERAMIC PORKHOLLOW found in the player’s profile. Smaller denominations of BOONDOLLARS, called BOONCOINS, come in the values of 50, 25, 10, and 5, of which a value of 100 would equal one (1) BOONDOLLAR. One million BOONDOLLARS is equal to a BOONBUCK, which is so massive in weight that it will crush the CERAMIC PORKHOLLOW. BOONDOLLARS appear in the size and shape of regular PAPER MONEY, while BOONBUCKS appear as tapered bricks. A BOONCASE is a container that can rarely be found by exploring the planets within THE MEDIUM and it contains quite a large sum of BOONBUCKS (that is, if someone hasn’t already looted it before you). A BOONBOND is equal to one quintillion (10^18) BOONDOLLARS. Other demoninations of unknown value are the BOONBANK and the BOONMINT, the former suggested to be smaller than the latter.

BOON CURRENCY can be transferred between players via the [VIRTUAL PORKHOLLOW APP](https://www.homestuck.com/story/2741), which each player has access to. This app is especially useful for any player that can take advantage of the STOCK EXCHANGE MARKET on their respective planet. Do that and you and your buddies will be ROLLING IN BOONBUCKS in no time.

 

* * *

**D E V I C E S**

* * *

 

**CRUXTRUDER**

This machine is the most important in terms of gameplay. Upon placing this machine, either the server or the client will need to drop a HEAVY OBJECT on the top of the valve in order to release the client’s KERNELSPRITE, which will take on a similar colour to that which is associated with the client player. At this point, the client (or the server if necessary) may and is encouraged to PROTOTYPE THE KERNELSPRITE with one or two objects or entities. Any prototypes that occur before entering THE MEDIUM will affect the enemies across all player planets within THE MEDIUM, but most notably the respective client’s planet and the BLACK KING. It is advised that each player’s KERNELSPRITE is prototyped with at least one (1) object or entity with THEORETICAL SENTIENCE, so that it may COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY with the player and guide them along through their journey within the Game. After the KERNELSPRITE is released, the CRUXTRUDER is capable of producing an infinite number of CRUXITE DOWELS, which take on the colour associated with the client player, by turning the crank on the side of the valve. When the CRUXTRUDER is initially opened, you will notice a countdown begin on the screen at the base of the machine. This timer is counting down to the inevitable demise of the client's planet.

 

**TOTEM LATHE**

This machine is used in conjunction with the CRUXTRUDER. CRUXITE DOWELS may be carved in the TOTEM LATHE using PUNCHED CAPTCHALOGUE CARDS, thus making them CRUXITE TOTEMS. A PRE-PUNCHED CARD will be made available to each client player as they join the Game, which should then be used to carve the first CRUXITE DOWEL. Carved dowels are representations of whatever pattern was punched into the card used to carve it, which can then be ALCHEMIZED using the ALCHEMITER to duplicate and subsequently alter the aforementioned items.

 

**ALCHEMITER**

As previously mentioned, this machine is used to alter or duplicate items, be they those represented by CRUXITE TOTEMS or individual items by themselves. Placing two or more items together on the smaller platform will ALCHEMIZE it into a new item of the combined aspects of its original components. This function is useful for creating improved weapons or items that can be used to further gameplay progression and defeat enemies with more ease. This machine is essential for creating the client player’s ARTIFACT, which is achieved by ALCHEMIZING the CRUXITE TOTEM carved using the PRE-PUNCHED CARD provided to the player.

 

**PUNCH DESIGNIX**

The fourth item in the PHERNALIA REGISTRY is unavailable to the server player at first, but once the client player collects enough grist, the server will be able to place it. This machine is used to PUNCH CAPTCHALOGUE CARDS that are to be used in the TOTEM LATHE. The hole pattern punched into the card is limited to an eight-character code unique to the captchalogued item (duplicates of an item will have the same code). The PUNCH DESIGNIX may also be used to punch blank captchalogue cards with a pre-determined code. Even though the captchalogue card is blank, the punched holes still represent the item from which the eight-digit code came, and thus can be used in the TOTEM LATHE, since it only reads the pattern of the holes and not the contents of the captchalogue card itself.

 

**JUMPER BLOCK EXTENSION / PUNCH CARD SHUNT**

These items, both of which are SHAPED LIKE CAPTCHALOGUE CARDS, are intended to be used in conjunction, wherein a captchalogue card is inserted in the PUNCH CARD SHUNT. A PUNCH CARD SHUNT can be plugged into one of eight (8) slots in the JUMPER BLOCK EXTENSION (henceforth referred to as “JBE”), which can then be connected to an ALCHEMITER to alter or “upgrade” its function to that of the item in the CORRESPONDING CAPTCHALOGUE CARD. For example, a captchalogued blender which is inserted into the PUNCH CARD SHUNT, then placed in the JBE, which is then connected to the ALCHEMITER, will cause the ALCHEMITER to blend any item placed on it rather than ALCHEMIZE it. This can be useful if the player finds themselves in need of something that can only be achieved by the function of another object, yet is difficult or impossible to achieve with the items themselves due to possible extenuating circumstances (e.g. if you need to peel an apple, but don’t have time to sit and do it yourself, you might put an apple on the Alchemiter and put a captchalogued apple peeler in a PUNCH CARD SHUNT to peel it instantly). The fact that there are eight (8) slots for PUNCH CARD SHUNTS implies that several FUNCTIONALITY CARDS may be used at once to achieve a combined effect on an item placed on the ALCHEMITER.

 

**HOLOPAD**

The player can use a CRUXITE TOTEM or PUNCHED CARD with this device to view what it is without wasting grist on ALCHEMIZING it. The item will be projected as a HOLOGRAM on the device’s platform. This is useful for BLANK CARDS that have been punched with an actual item's code and OCCUPIED PUNCHED CARDS which you expect might have been punched with a code that differs from the IRRETRIEVABLE ITEM displayed on the card itself.

 

**INTELLIBEAM LASTERTATION**

This machine’s only function is to read CAPTCHA CODES with 100% accuracy. Therefore, if you have a PUNCHED CARD with a code, you can stick it in this machine and it will read the code to you. No, it won’t tell you what the code represents. It just tells you the code because apparently you can’t be bothered to read it yourself.

 

**ECTOBIOLOGY APPARATUS**

This machine is essential for the ECTOBIOLOGY that will take place later in the Game when THE RECKONING begins. A player may use this machine specifically to store PARADOX SLIME, which is created by attempting to use an APPEARIFIER to APPEARIFY something that would create a PARADOX, such as your current self, which would then leave a PARADOX GHOST IMPRINT that dissolves into a puddle of slime and is collected by the APPARATUS. This slime contains the unique GENETIC CODE of its intended target, which is then extracted by the APPARATUS and may be used for CLONING, specifically the creation of the GENESIS FROG.

 

**APPEARIFIER / SENDIFICATOR**

These two machines really speak for themselves. The APPEARIFIER makes things appear (theoretically), and the SENDIFICATOR sends things somewhere else. Both machines are controlled by the user manually setting TIME AND SPACE COORDINATES to find their desired TARGET or TARGET LOCATION. Both machines are capable of working throughout any instance along a GIVEN TIMELINE, which means one can APPEARIFY something from any point in time and from any location, and SENDIFICATE something thusly. These machines can only be used within the player’s CURRENT UNIVERSE, preventing the user from targeting anything or anyone within, for example, a SCRATCHED UNIVERSE, unless either or both of the parties develop a way to sync the machines with their respective universes. Attempting to use these machines out-of-universe without syncing first will produce PARADOX GHOST IMPRINTS. As a little known fact, these machines can be CAPTCHALOGUED with cards fit to hold something so large. While not applicable to the APPEARIFIER, the captchalogued SENDIFICATOR can be used in the JBE to SENDIFICATE an object placed on the ALCHEMITER to a random point in TIME AND SPACE, though why someone would want to do this remains to be known.

 

**TRANSMATERIALIZER**

This machine is a combination of the APPEARIFIER and the SENDIFICATOR. While available in the PHERNALIA REGISTRY for a sizeable amount of money, it can also be created by captchaloguing the respective COMPONENT MACHINES and using the cards with the ALCHEMITER. It can then be captchalogued and displaced in the DESIRED LOCATION, given the fetch modus will allow it, or the server player can expend some grist to move it as necessary. The process of building, captchaloguing, and alchemizing the component machines is a time-consuming task in comparison to buying the TRANSMATERIALIZER, but the combined grist cost of the APPEARIFIER and SENDIFICATOR is slightly less than that of the end product, so it’s technically a fair trade. At any rate, using the TRANSMATERIALIZER requires quite a bit of URANIUM GRIST, whereas use of the separate component machines is SIGNIFICANTLY CHEAPER. One must weigh the PROS AND CONS carefully before attempting to build or create this machine by either means. Additionally, the TRANSMATERIALIZER is also restricted to functioning only within the user’s CURRENT UNIVERSE, barring the exception explained in the above paragraph.

 

**CLONING PAD**

When deployed near an ECTOBIOLOGY APPARATUS and used in conjunction with either an APPEARIFIER or TRANSMATERIALIZER, appearified or cloned objects or persons can be rerouted to appear on this pad. While the aforementioned machines come with their own pads for APPEARIFICATIONS, this one in particular is noticeably smaller and is intended to be used for cloning FROGS, eventually creating the GENESIS FROG containing the players’ NEW UNIVERSE.

 

**GRIST RIG**

The last item in the PHERNALIA REGISTRY, the GRIST RIG is a necessary device for completion of the Game. This item costs no grist and could potentially be deployed in the beginning of the Game, but its structure is quite large and needs a decent amount of space to fit into. Traditionally, server players are known to deploy this item at the top of their client player’s dwelling after building it up to the FINAL GATE, since they only become important once the client player has confronted their DENIZEN, regardless of whether or not they choose to slay the beast. Once the client player has gained access to the BOUNTIFUL GRIST HOARD their denizen guards and the GRIST RIG is deployed, the machine will spew the collective grist the player has obtained, shooting it toward SKAIA to serve as nourishment for the GENESIS FROG. This process is known as the ULTIMATE ALCHEMY and it requires the COMBINED GRIST of each player’s planet within a session to work properly.


	3. Game Constructs

* * *

**E N T I T I E S**

* * *

 

**ENEMIES**

You didn’t think you would fly through this without a few obstacles, did you? Enemies you will face are called DERSITE UNDERLINGS. From weakest to strongest, they come in the forms of IMPS, OGRES, BASILISKS, TITACHNIDS, LICHES, GICLOPSES, LICH QUEENS, and ACHERONS. These UNDERLINGSwill take on the attributes of your PRE-ENTRY PROTOTYPE(S). You will quickly notice that these enemies are swarming to your house/hive shortly upon entry into THE MEDIUM. Hope you’re ready for a hardy strife!

 

**KERNELSPRITE**

As mentioned in an earlier passage, the KERNELSPRITE is released from the CRUXTRUDER after opening the valve. Initially, it appears as a glowing, pulsating orb that seems very intent on following you around. Prior to prototyping, the KERNELSPRITE cannot communicate with you whatsoever. After the FIRST PROTOTYPE, depending on the chosen object or entity, its communication skills are present, but limited. The SECOND PROTOTYPE is what will allow your KERNELSPRITE, henceforth addressed by a name representative of its prototypes, to assist you on your journey throughout the Game. Upon entry into THE MEDIUM, regardless of whether you’ve prototyped your KERNELSPRITE once or twice, the sprite will SPLIT INTO TWO, and then it will SPLIT INTO TWO MORE and fly off into the void. The two KERNELS will go directly to PROSPIT and DERSE respectively, imprinting its PROTOTYPE DATA unto the spires found on each moon. This is what causes the enemies you will face to take on aspects of your prototypes and what will inevitably tip the scales in the BATTLE BETWEEN LIGHT AND DARK. Epic impending strifes notwithstanding, it should be noted that leaving a KERNELSPRITE unprototyped before entering THE MEDIUM is a VERY, VERY BAD IDEA. Anyway, your sprite contains all the knowledge necessary to help you along your way, but if you don’t feel like dealing with its confounding riddles and double-speak, read on.

 

**DENIZEN**

The core of each player’s planet is inhabited by a DENIZEN, a mighty beast of legendary and/or mythological origins that is responsible for whatever difficulty plagues each respective planet. Reaching and confronting your DENIZENis the main goal of your PLANET QUEST, which consists of some hardship imposed by the DENIZEN that the player must rectify. Plainly speaking, a player could skip to the FINAL GATE above their starting point given the means to do so and confront their DENIZEN without laying a finger on their designated QUEST. However, that player would be severely underprepared to face their DENIZEN, for the purpose of the PLANET QUEST is to enable to player to gain the necessary levels and experience to defeat their DENIZEN.

The player may not always have to slay their DENIZEN right away, however. If given the chance, your DENIZEN may offer you a choice that will TEST YOUR MORAL LIMITS. The choice you are offered will vary depending on the intended goal of your PERSONAL QUEST and your decision will determine your fate in some form or another. Either way, it is imperative that you gain access to the GRIST HOARD your DENIZEN guards, be it by slaying the beast or making a deal with it. That grist is essential for the completion of the Game.

 

**CONSORTS**

On your planet you will find creatures that inhabit it. They are likely to have a rich and intriguing history and culture, one that is threatened by the presence of the DENIZEN brought by the player’s entry into the Game. Some consorts may be capable of COHERENT SPEECH of varying fluency, while others may lack the ability to speak altogether. Consorts are your friends. They will help you along your PLANET QUEST and you might find certain aspects of their society useful in your endeavors.

 

**THE FIRST GUARDIANS**

The purpose of these beings is more or less summarized by "omniscient gamemasters", but there is much more to the FIRST GUARDIANS than meets the eye. One GUARDIAN is assigned to each and every planet destined for INTELLIGENT LIFE to protect it and ensure that it fulfills its true purpose, that being to cultivate an environment necessary to guide future players toward their respective fates. Though they come in many shapes and sizes, many blending in with the societies they are charged to protect, each GUARDIAN shares a common and potent code which grants them nigh TOTAL OMNISCIENCE. They each manifest as a PURE WHITE ENTITY with a “GREEN ENERGY” provided by the GREEN SUN which manifests in UNIQUE ABILITIES and allows them to teleport themselves and other objects or persons any place they please in the blink of an eye. Their main purpose is to create and maintain STABLE TIME LOOPS to assist in the Game’s development and progression, manipulating subtle details here and there as needed. Their involvement in the lives of future players varies depending on how the GUARDIAN chooses to orchestrate things, be it by direct intervention/influence or by taking a more passive approach and letting things develop as they will, so long as it inevitably leads toward the Game.

While they are destined to appear on each fated planet one way or another, it is also necessary for the FIRST GUARDIANS to facilitate their own creation to ensure the aforementioned STABLE TIME LOOPS, typically via WEIRD TIME SHENANIGANS and the occasional ECTOBIOLOGICAL TINKERING. A FIRST GUARDIAN'S duty beyond jumpstarting the Game is obsolete. Aside from that function, a FIRST GUARDIAN may act as it pleases according to any significant personality traits it may develop along the way.

 

* * *

**L O C A T I O N S**

* * *

 

**THE INCIPISPHERE**

Upon utilizing the ARTIFACT, the player and their immediate surroundings (i.e. their current residence and a small portion of the outside environment surrounding it) are transported into what is known as THE INCIPISPHERE. Specifically, they are transported on their own unique planet within THE MEDIUM. THE INCIPISPHERE itself consists of the central planet, SKAIA, a number of planets equal to the number of players that orbit around it (“orbit” being used loosely, that is; nothing within THE INCIPISPHERE naturally moves, save for the following—), THE VEIL, and two moons known as PROSPIT and DERSE.

 

**THE MEDIUM**

This is the area that contains both SKAIA and the players’ planets, as well as PROSPIT, which is situated closer to SKAIA. This area is surrounded by THE VEIL and, although it is unencumbered by the laws of physics which would dictate that the planets collide into one another at such close proximity, it maintains a breathable atmosphere for all players, regardless of their species. There is no sun to be found within THE MEDIUM or the surrounding INCIPISPHERE, leaving the players’ planets to be illuminated only by what the planets themselves provide as well as SKAIA'S soft, natural light, despite showing no signs of being or containing a gaseous ball of starlight or something of the like.

 

**PLAYER PLANET**

When a player enters THE MEDIUM, they are placed on a planet uniquely designed to put their skills to the test and complete their PERSONAL QUEST. You may notice the resident consorts refer to the planet as the “Land of _ and _”, commonly abbreviated to its initials. The name of the client player's planet also appears on the viewport screen of the server player. The land title will contain descriptors that more or less sum up the status of a player's planet. The player is responsible for completing their PLANET QUEST in addition to their PERSONAL QUEST, the latter of which corresponds to the Game itself rather than the individual planet.

 

**THE FORGE**

The HERO OF SPACE in a given session is typically the one whose planet will possess the FORGE. It is their responsibility to breed the GENESIS FROG, which will appear as a tadpole with the proper genetics that must then be thrown into the FORGE. The FORGE will present itself as a volcano near the SPACE PLAYER'S home and, in order to ignite it after each player empties their GRIST CACHE into SKAIA, one needs a magic ring, be it one of the QUEENS’ or otherwise. Igniting the FORGE will complete the ULTIMATE ALCHEMY of creating the GENESIS FROG and mark the players’ victory. Once all remaining players gather at a designated location, they will be presented with the ULTIMATE REWARD: the new universe they’ve created. Each remaining player is granted access to a fresh new dimension of which they are the GODS, the CREATORS, the ORIGIN.

 

**THE VEIL**

THE VEIL consists of a string of meteors that form a circle around THE MEDIUM, marking its boundaries. On the other side of these meteors lies the moon DERSE. If one somehow managed to reach THE VEIL, one might find that some of the meteors contain buildings of basic yet foreign architecture. Within these buildings is plenty of room for any machines from the PHERNALIA REGISTRY the players find they don’t have enough space for. Even if they do, the meteors could serve as a convenient gathering place to perform some rather pivotal tasks. The buildings aren’t entirely empty, after all, and in some rooms there is a hub of computers/husktops equipt for players to use to communicate with one another or progress the Game via their server player duties. How these devices gained access to each player’s individual server/client connection is unknown, but it’s handy, to say the least.

 

**PROSPIT / DERSE**

While PROSPIT—a gilded planet inhabited by typically kind and well-mannered beings covered in white carapace known as PROSPITIANS—orbits near SKAIA, DERSE—dyed in a dark purple contrasting its golden counterpart and inhabited by more mischievous and mean-spirited DERSITES who possess black carapace bodies—resides beyond THE VEIL and outside of THE MEDIUM'S boundaries. PROSPIT and DERSE are ruled by the WHITE and BLACK KINDS and QUEENS, respectively, wherein the WHITE rulers are of a more gentle nature, the BLACK hunger for power and destruction. PROSPIT enjoys a unique vantage point that occasionally allows it to view the ORACLE CLOUDS of SKAIA, in addition to being tasked with SKAIA'S DEFENSE. It is on these moons that the player, be their lunar sway with PROSPIT or DERSE, may awaken as their DREAM SELF. A player’s DREAM SELF is the embodiment of their ideal self-image, though all players are clad in nightgown-esque apparel in the respective colours of their moons. Seeing as any and all players of the Game are and were predestined to play it at some point in their lives no matter the circumstances, a player might find that they have awoken on their moon long or shortly before they even touched the Game. Have any strange dreams lately?

A player's DREAM SELF isn’t just for prancing around in their favourite pirate costume, however. If one should find themself suddenly dying or getting murdered for one reason or another, as long as it isn’t a JUST or HEROIC death post-god tiering, their DREAM SELF is their one and only extra life. Theoretically speaking, that is. If a player happens to be a HERO OF TIME skilled in manipulating that aspect, they might just be granted even more lives, if they use their power properly.

 

**THE FURTHEST RING**

Beyond THE INCIPISPHERE, separated from THE MEDIUM by THE VEIL, with DERSE orbiting at its edges, lies the FURTHEST RING. It is the INFINITE SPACE that divides all sessions, completely unnavigable and unfathomable, and untouched by the TIME or SPACE of any universe in existence. It is home to the manifestations of the worst nightmares one can imagine, filled with eldritch terrors beyond comprehension. Most notable and most powerful of these are the HORRORTERRORS, whose whispers and glimpses of which can be caught by DERSITE DREAMERS if their attention lingers too long in the darkness that lies beyond.

 

**SKAIA**

This is the planet covered in chess-like terrain in the centre of THE INCIPISPHERE. Any player could view SKAIA from their own planet, given the right vantage point. It is here on SKAIA that the FINAL BATTLE will take place and where the GENESIS FROG will grow from within the planet’s core. One could describe it as a “dormant crucible of unlimited creative potential”. As mentioned previously, SKAIA is defended by PROSPIT, which occupies the FORCES OF LIGHT, against the DARK FORCES of DERSE. Chronologically speaking, this battle is fought at a perpetual stalemate until the FIRST KERNELSPRITE is prototyped. At that point, DERSE gains the advantage and PROSPIT becomes destined to lose. At first, prior to any prototypes, SKAIA is 99% atmosphere riddled with ORACLE CLOUDS that display PROPHETIC VISIONS OF THE PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE. Its only physical surface is a three-by-three chess board on which only two combatants, the WHITE and BLACK KINGS, face each other at an ETERNAL STALEMATE. With each player’s initial KERNELSPRITE PROTOTYPE, the battlefield grows larger, allowing full-scale war to break out. The prototypes are what make SKAIA viable for nurturing the GENESIS FROG, for without them, it would be unable to withstand the creation of a new universe (not to mention the fact that UNPROTOTYPED KERNELSPRITES that enter THE MEDIUM will doom the session anyway. ...Oops.)

 

**GATES**

Upon entering THE MEDIUM, there will appear SEVEN GATES above each player’s house/hive. The server player’s main task is to build up their client player’s house/hive to each gate. The FIRST GATE will transport the client player to a different location on their planet, where there will be a RETURN NODE that leads back to their starting location. The SECOND GATE leads to the client’s server’s planet, along with a RETURN NODE. Each ascending gate leads to another player’s planet and, when a player passes through the SEVENTH GATE on their own planet, they will be taken to their DENIZEN'S LAIR. After confronting the DENIZEN, an EIGHTH GATE will appear above the seven already present on the player’s planet, which then leads to the next planet following that of the seventh player’s and so on. Each gate is paired with a RETURN NODE that will lead back to the player’s respective starting point (i.e. if PLAYER ONE goes through the SECOND GATE on PLAYER TWO'S planet, they will be returned to PLAYER ONE'S starting point, but PLAYER TWO would return to their own starting point).

 

**GREEN SUN**

A truly massive star, the GREEN SUN is larger than two entire universes put together and it resides right in the middle of the FURTHEST RING (I’m sure now you can imagine why it’s so hard to navigate). Created in the same era as the original DREAM BUBBLES, yet technically a FIXED MANIFESTATION that exists throughout all of TIME AND SPACE, the GREEN SUN is the centre of all that is, was, and will ever be. It is the focal point of each and every universe in existence. By now I’m certain you’re beginning to understand the Game’s true purpose: to perpetuate existence and the ever-expanding multiverse. Yes, it’s true, the Game is not merely a “game”, it is a design fabricated by the POWERS THAT BE, the very same that chose you to play. The GREEN SUN also happens to be the source of power for the FIRST GUARDIANS. I know what you’re thinking and, no, they aren’t the POWERS THAT BE. They are merely pawns created to preserve the integrity of the Game and preside over everything in existence in their creators’ stead.

 

**DREAM BUBBLES**

This is, for many, a favourite aspect of the Game. Thanks to the generosity of the POWERS THAT BE, dead and dreaming players get to enjoy these CELESTIAL POCKETS between SPACE and TIME. DREAM BUBBLES are, figuratively speaking, a foster home for the deceased. All those who have ever played, or are currently playing, the Game have access to the DREAM BUBBLES. Players alive and dead alike roam these bubbles which lie in the darkest reaches of the FURTHEST RING. It is here that any player, should they die permanently, will go, free to explore their wildest imaginations alongside their fondest memories, as well as those of others. The DREAM BUBBLES encompass a collage of DREAMS and MEMORIES produced by every player that enters them. They are endless, but fickle. One moment one might find themself reliving a pleasant walk through the park of their childhood, and the next they find that they've wandered into some demented creature’s nightmare circus. Navigating the DREAM BUBBLES can be tricky, but they’re always full of surprises.

DREAM BUBBLES can be accessed when a player falls asleep, given that their DREAM SELF is NONEXISTENT, INCAPACITATED, or they make the CONSCIOUS DECISION to go to the DREAM BUBBLES instead. One can also enter the DREAM BUBBLES physically, but that would require knowing how to navigate the FURTHEST RING in order to reach them. By waking in or entering the DREAM BUBBLES, one could potentially leave behind a physical object for the RESIDENT GHOSTS and/or DREAMERS to have. This applies to the RING OF LIFE, as well, meaning that if one is holding it or wearing it when they fall asleep, or if they're in possession of it when entering the DREAM BUBBLES physically, they can pass it on to someone else within the DREAM BUBBLES, ridding themself of its physical presence. If a ghost puts on the RING OF LIFE, they can be revived entirely. Anyone wearing the ring will return to life if they are killed unless the ring is removed from them. A ghost who is revived by the ring may remain alive after removing it, but they will become susceptible to death. Again.


	4. Game Mechanics

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  **G O D   T I E R S**

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**GOD TIER**

This is what a player becomes when they achieve GODHOOD. One does that, of course, by climbing their personal and customized ECHELADDER. It’s not an actual ladder, so don’t go looking for it anytime soon. It’s more of a LEVELING SYSTEM that to be climbed while defeating enemies and completing tasks throughout the Game. Reaching GODHOOD is one of the many goals in any given session. By doing so, a player can unlock powerful “godlike” abilities unique to their specific CLASS and ASPECT. You may remember my mentioning HEROES OF TIME AND SPACE. Those are just two of the ASPECTS a player may be destined to embody in some fashion or another. The way a player embodies their ASPECT is determined by their CLASS, which would define what kind of “HERO” they are.

There are plenty of different CLASSES and ASPECTS for which one might develop an affinity. A god tier title, for example “HEIR OF TIME”, dictates a specific skill set gained upon ascending. A HERO OF TIME is a pivotal figure in any session, along with a HERO OF SPACE. Both of those HEROES are necessary for a session with any hope of succeeding, for lacking either would leave a given session doomed from the start. GOD TIERS for each player are determined long before the Game begins; they are titles which represent the player's very being, corresponding to their strongest personality traits and the destiny they  are fated to fulfill within the Game. While every player is capable of achieving GODHOOD, however, it is not certain that every player will realize their full potential. Death in some form or another is almost a guarantee in any average session. There will be opportunities to REVIVE, but be prepared to meet your end if you use up any SECOND CHANCES you may receive.

 

**CONDITIONAL IMMORTALITY**

IMMORTALITY is indeed an achievable factor, but only CONDITIONALLY. By ascending to GODHOOD, a player is granted this CONDITIONAL IMMORTALITY. An ascended player could potentially live forever, barring that the player suffers a HEROIC or JUST death. Judgement faced by the player upon any death after achieving GODHOOD is defined broadly, mysteriously, and according to the case of the individual. One might face a HEROIC death by actively engaging in combat with a corrupt adversary and being slain in the process, or by noble SELF-SACRIFICE for the GREATER GOOD. One might meet a JUST death if one is directly responsible for VILLAINOUS ACTIONS, or if one has been corrupted by a MALEVOLENT INFLUENCE. The stipulations regarding either death is blurry at best.

 

**QUEST BED**

This MYSTICAL MATTRESS (or CURIOUS COCOON, depending on your species) is a player's ticket to achieving GODHOOD. Each player has their own individual QUEST BED located somewhere on their planet within THE MEDIUM. After climbing the ECHELADDER as high as possible, a player can seek out their QUEST BED and proceed to die on it, by their own hands or someone else’s. By dying on the QUEST BED, the player's DREAM SELF will take their place as an ascended GOD TIER. Of course, this will use up their spare life, but they don’t have to worry about that much as a GOD TIER, what with the CONDITIONAL IMMORTALITY. Speaking of DREAM SELVES, a player might find a SECOND QUEST BED located on their DREAM MOON, known as a SACRIFICIAL SLAB. If a player happens to die before ascending and awakens as their DREAM SELF, they can still achieve GODHOOD by dying on the SACRIFICIAL SLAB. It’s sort of a FAIL-SAFE, if you will, to keep things fair.

 

* * *

**K E Y   I T E M S**

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**ARTIFACT**

This is an item ALCHEMIZED from the CRUXITE TOTEM carved in the TOTEM LATHE using the PRE-PUNCHED CARD received by the client at the beginning of the Game. This item represents an IDEA or CONCEPT associated with the player, be it something that symbolizes their PERSONAL or ULTIMATE QUEST throughout the Game; a metaphysical design that revolves around the player’s LIFE, EXISTENCE, and/or PERSONAGE; or perhaps an object related to their PREDESTINED GOD TIER and the corresponding journey to achieve it. Whatever it may be and whatever it represents, the player’s ARTIFACT must be UTILIZED IN SOME WAY in order to enter THE MEDIUM. “Utilize” can mean anything from using it for its PERCEIVED INTENDED PURPOSE, using it for a CONTRADICTING PURPOSE, or any number of actions that affect or involve the ARTIFACT in some way. A player's first thought of how to utilize their ARTIFACT might not be the correct one, so they are encouraged to think OUTSIDE OF THE PROVERBIAL BOX.

 

**KING’S SCEPTRE**

Initially wielded by the WHITE KING, the SCEPTRE allows the bearer (if they’re carapacian) to take on the attributes of a session’s PRE-ENTRY PROTOTYPES, the number of which is reflected in the orbs that float around its tip, much like the QUEENS' RINGS. The tip of the SCEPTRE is adorned with a replica of SKAIA which the orbs orbit. The globe directly correlates with the planet itself in that anything done unto the orb is reflected on the actual SKAIA.

 

**MAGIC RINGS**

As I mentioned in my explanation of the FORGE, in order to ignite said FORGE, one will need a MAGIC RING. There are, by default, three (3) of these that can be obtained in the Game, two of which are the BLACK and WHITE QUEENS' respective rings. In addition to prototyping the wearer(s) with the session’s PRE-ENTRY PROTOTYPES, they each possess a UNIQUE POWER. The WHITE QUEEN'S RING is capable of using the RED MILES, a force so destructive that it could potentially obliterate an entire universe, if a player’s PRE-ENTRY PROTOTYPE included something known as a FIRST GUARDIAN. Under the same condition, the BLACK QUEEN'S RING can use the GREEN BREATH, which allows the wearer to reanimate any corpses left lying around in the session to do their bidding for as long as they bear the ring. The THIRD RING is known as the RING OF LIFE. Unlike the QUEENS' RINGS, which take the shape of gold bands encircled by a number of tiny glowing spheres directly related to the number of PRE-ENTRY PROTOTYPES and grant the wearer (if they’re a carapacian) the attributes of those prototypes, the RING OF LIFE is just a plain gold band. Pretty unassuming, so much so that one might not think twice about putting it on to complete a fashion ensemble. The RING OF LIFE'S origins are unknown, but there’s no need to question from where a ring that can revive ghosts came.

 

**JUJU**

Now here’s a titillating topic. JUJUS aren’t necessarily an exclusive aspect of the Game as they are an UNAVOIDABLE BYPRODUCT of the creation of a new universe. JUJUS, much like FIRST GUARDIANS, come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and especially colours. A JUJU can manifest itself as practically anything and none would be the wiser to its mystical properties. A JUJU exists as a SINGLE ENTITY across all realities and cannot be COPIED or PERMANENTLY DESTROYED. The existence of two of the same JUJU can be chalked up to an ILLUSION, an error that will inevitably be erased, or an intended component to ensure its ETERNAL EXISTENCE. What that means is that JUJUS often create themselves just like FIRST GUARDIANS, perpetuating their existences in an ETERNAL TIME LOOP, thus rendering their TRUE ORIGINS untraceable. JUJUS possess unique MAGICAL PROPERTIES that may present themselves in a variety of ways and they always have an owner to whom they are forever attached, unless their owners are killed or willingly give away the JUJU. In a similar vein, a JUJU cannot be destroyed by any CONVENTIONAL means, lest it become incapable of recreating itself in the past to be destroyed in the first place and thus creating a GRANDFATHER PARADOX and a DOOMED TIMELINE to boot.

A JUJU'S effect on any given universe is truly random. Just as a JUJU'S origins are a mystery, so are the rules that govern how it behaves and interacts with its environment. They are quite the conundrum and not to be taken lightly. While a JUJU rarely embodies a sentient being, it does possess a certain... _awareness_ that comes with being a MYSTICAL ENTITY. Despite their otherworldly existences, there also exist JUJU BREAKERS, which are impossibly rare and may not exist in any given universe inhabited by a JUJU. JUJU BREAKERS, like the JUJUS themselves, can appear as unassuming objects whose JUJU-BEAKING POWER could go unnoticed for eternity. Regardless, should one ever happen upon one such WEAPON OF MASS DESCTRUCTION, beware. Breaking a JUJU will doom a timeline beyond repair, so you better have a foolproof escape plan at your disposal if you decide to break one. At any rate, just be careful. Don’t go licking any suspicious suckers or anything ridiculously stupid like that. The consequences could be fatal.

 

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**S O M E   O T H E R   W A C K Y   S H I T**

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**TRICKSTER MODE**

This is an in-game power up that can be obtained by combining two compatible JUJU into one SUPERJUJU and interacting with it in a certain way. A SUPERJUJU will allure all those in close proximity to interact with it in this way, thus activating their TRICKSTER MODE. Once activated, the afflicted player's appearance will become decidedly FRUITY, BRIGHT, and  CANDYLICIOUS. The player's eyes will change to their ASSOCIATED COLOUR, along with round swirly patterns on their cheeks. The TRICKSTER'S new appearance will generally stick to a certain, candy-like theme, but it will undoubtedly be ridiculous and outrageous in every sense of the words.

TRICKSTERS can fly and levitate in the air at will and gain the ability to alter reality. For example, upon activating TRICKSTER MODE, a player can theoretically turn almost anything into almost anything else, in addition to seemingly creating things out of thin air. A TRICKSTER'S kiss will turn the recipient into a TRICKSTER as well, but a TRICKSTER can also achieve this by creating a TRICKSTER-FYING OBJECT and using it on someone else. Most TRICKSTERS are inherently silly and foolish in behaviour, but occasionally an afflicted player will not be affected by these characteristics despite activating their TRICKSTER MODE. No one knows why this is.

Any monster killed while in TRICKSTER MODE will drop ZILLIUM instead of their usual GRIST LOOT. ZILLIUM may be used with a variety of different objects and weapons to create some truly WACK SHIT. TRICKSTER MODE will wear off in a similar manner to a sugar high, causing the player to experience minor but noticeably present symptoms of withdrawal.

 

**THE RECKONING**

This is the players' true calling in the Game. When the DERSITE ARMY seizes victory, and it will, the BLACK KING will use the WHITE KING'S SCEPTRE to call forth THE RECKONING. He will summon the meteors from THE VEIL to plummet toward SKAIA, whereupon the planet will activate its last line of defense. Portals will open all around SKAIA, sending the incoming meteors to predetermined points in TIME and SPACE. This is the cause for the initial destruction of any player's planet. Eventually, SKAIA'S portals will fail and it is at this point that the players must save it by facing their biggest battle yet: killing the BLACK KING. Depending on how the session develops, this could be a relatively simple feat, or it could take lives. The BLACK KING on his own is hardly a threat, but if he gets his hands on either of the QUEENS' RINGS, he will gain every attribute from the PRE-ENTRY PROTOTYPES, potentially making him a fierce mutant. Players will have twenty-four (24) hours to defeat the BLACK KING and stop THE RECKONING lest the meteors destroy SKAIA and doom the session for good.

 

**FRAYMOTIFS**

FRAYMOTIFS are special abilities or attacks with a musical association. They can be bought at various consort-run shops on a player's planet for a sum of BOON CURRENCY, with the more powerful FRAYMATOFIS costing more, naturally. They are presumably based on a player's GOD TIER and they all have musical names. Each player has three (3) individual FRAYMOTIFS that they can purchase and one (1) more FRAYMOTIF for each possible team combination regarding the other players in that session. For instance, in a session with four (4) players, a total of twenty-four (24) FRAYMOTICS (three (3) for each individual player (twelve (12) in total), one (1) combination of all four players, and a total of eleven (11) possible combinations amoung the four of them). Additional FRAYMOTIFS may exist for players of a different session fated to intersect with another, such as SCRATCHED SESSIONS.

 

**SCRATCH**

A SCRATCH is a game mechanic intended to be used as a last resort for DOOMED SESSIONS. A SCRATCH will, plainly speaking, "reset" the current universe to an indeterminate point in its history and redevelop it in such a way that the next session to occur will be shaped by different CIRCUMSTANCES and CONDITIONS that will hopefully produce more FAVOURABLE RESULTS. In order to trigger a SCRATCH, a device placed on the planet of the HERO OF TIME known as the SCRATCH CONSTRUCT must be activated. Typically this is achieved by quite literally scratching the SCRATCH CONSTRUCT with a formidable weapon or item associated with the HERO OF SPACE. (Typically, this is a pair of very sharp needles known as the QUILLS OF ECHIDNA, but not everyone wants their HERO OF SPACE to have ECHIDNA for a DENIZEN, so do with that what you will.) After activating the SCRATCH CONSTRUCT, it will rise toward SKAIA and request a HARD RESET, causing SKAIA to alter the SPACETIME destination of the PARADOX CLONES as they pass through its DEFENSE PORTALS. Normally this changes which group of PARADOX CLONES serves as the next session's players and subsequently consigns the SCRATCHED SESSION to oblivion.


End file.
